May 212023
 

As part of the feather study, I documented the bristle feathers of each species with some interesting results.   

   

A great article on bristle feathers:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joa.13188

 

Abert’s Towhee Bristle Feather

ABTO, Melozone aberti

 

Abert's Towhee

Abert’s Towhee

 Close-up of Abert’s Towhee bristle feathers

Abert's Towhee bristle feathers

Abert’s Towhee bristle feathers

   Two types of bristles were found.

 

Abert's Towhee bristle feathers

Abert’s Towhee bristle feathers

Unbranched bristles on the left, semi-bristle on the right.

Very few unbranched bristles were seen.

   

Curve-billed Thrasher Bristle Feather 

CBTH, Toxostoma curvirostre

 

Curve-billed Thrasher

Curve-billed Thrasher

 

  Close-up of Curve-billed Thrasher bristles.

Curve-billed Thrasher bristles

Curve-billed Thrasher bristles

     

  Only semi-bristles were found.

 

Curve-billed Thrasher bristle feather

Curve-billed Thrasher bristle feather

    

Ring-necked Pheasant Bristle Feather

RNEP, Phasianus colchicus

Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant

    

There were bristle like feathers found under the eye.

Ring-necked Pheasant bristle feather

Ring-necked Pheasant bristle feather

These feathers were less than 1/4″ long.

Ring-necked Pheasant bristle feathers

Ring-necked Pheasant bristle feathers

Note the top of each feather looks shaggy.   

A look at 300X magnification shows some type of growth reminiscent of a filoplume. The vane was not as delicate as found on a filoplume.

300X bristle feather tip

300X bristle feather tip

     

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